Ant exterminator



y J. K. YOUNG 2,440,996

ANT EXTERMINATOR Filed April 30 1946 37 g Qfl y 3 60 K12 H Patented May 4, 1948 Joseph K.-Young, Bastrop, Tex.

Application April 30, 1946, Serial No. 666,113 g 1 Claim. (Cl. 43-128) This invention relates to an improved ant exterminator, but although being primarily intended for such purpose, may also, be used for exterminating other pests.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple and convenient device which will enable the operator to force sulphur fumes,,or other chosen exterminating fumes, into an ant hill, or into the subterranean tunnels or runways of an ant bed, and thus exterminate not only the live ants but also the eggs and larva; wherein a handoperated fan will be provided for forcing the fumes into the ant hill or bed; wherein the fan and its associated parts may be adjustably tilted as a unit relative to the casing of the device to suit convenience, or to change the angle of the fan housing to better suit a particular objective of the outlet hose of the device, and wherein air will be admitted to the casing in such a way that the suction of the fan through the casing will cause a bed of ignited sulphur, for instance, at the bottom of the casing, only to smoulder with consequent fumes and smoke, rather than to actively blaze.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description, and in the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved exterminator.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical section.

Figure 4 is a vertical, transverse detail through the fan housing.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing the discharge hose of the device in conjunction with an ant hill.

In carrying the invention into eifect, I employ a stand of light fabricated sheet metal parts, which stand may be regarded as the base of the device. This stand includes a preferably circular top plate in having a peripheral flange H, and appropriately secured to said flange are legs l2 braced near their lower ends by a ring l3.

Mounted upon the stand is a cylindrical casing 14, also, preferably, of sheet metal. This casing is provided with a bottom wall l5 spaced above the lower end of the casing to define a flange l6 resting upon the top plate ill of the stand, and securing the casing to said plate are angle plates I! or the like fastened to said flange and to said plate.

At its upper end, the casing is provided with an inverted frusto-conical top wall l8 in the apex of which is fixed a filler tube I9 flush at its upper end with the periphery of the upper end of 2" the casing, and normally closing said tube is a suitably hinged cover 20.

Extending through the top plate in of the stand, and. through the bottom wall if) of the casing I 4 near one side of the latter is a fixed air supply tube 2| open at both ends. The upper end of said tube terminates at a level, preferably,

about half-way of the depth of the casing or, in

other words, approximately half-way between the bottom'walll5 and the top wall It. The lower end of said tube may be of any suitable length to communicate with the atmosphere.

Mounted upon the casing l4 diametrically opposite the location of the tube 2i is a fan unit, seen more particularly in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, which unit. will now be described.

Extending through the wall of the casing 14 near the lower 'end thereof is a fixed thimble 22, and threaded through said thimble is a nipple 23 smooth at its external outer end "portion. Mounted upon said nipple is a cylindrical fan housing 24 closed at one side thereof by a side wall 25, and open at its opposite side. Formed on the wall 25 of the housing is a collar 26 snugly but rotatively fitting over the outer end portion of the nipple 23, and engaged through said collar is a set screw 21 adjustably limiting the housing against rotation on the nipple.

Closing the housing 24 at its outer side is a side plate 28 fitting within the periphery of the housing and removably secured by screws 29. Axially, this side plate is provided with an elongated bearing 36 extending past the vertical center line of the housing, and journaled through said bearing is a fan shaft 3| upon the inner end of which is fixed a suitable fan 32 positioned axially of the nipple 23. Fixed to the outer end of said shaft is a pulley 33.

Suitably fixed to the fan housing 24 at one side thereof, as best seen in Figure 1, is a radial arm 34, and journaled upon the outer end of said arm is a hand wheel 35 having a handle 36. The arm will thus provide a lever for rotatively swinging the housing 24 on the nipple 23, when so desired, while specific adjustment of the fan unit, as a whole, may be set by manipulation of the set screw 21. Trained about the wheel 35 and about the pulley 33 is a suitable belt 37 for rotating the pulley and the fan 32 when the hand wheel is manually turned.

Extending from the bottom of the casing 24 is a nipple38, and frictionally engaged at one end over said nipple is a flexible discharge hose 39, preferably of rubber and of suitable length. In

3 Figure 5, I have roughly depicted an ant hill at 40.

In use, the casing i4 is partially filled with an insecticide, preferably sulphur, to a level below the nipple 23 of the fan unit, thus leaving the tube 2| to extend well above said level. The sulphur, or as may perhaps be better specified, any more or less slowly combustible compound thereof, is then ignited, air being supplied through the tube 2|. As will be seen, the air will enter above the burning mass at the bottom of the casing, so that no bottom draft of air through said mass will be present. However, since the air supply tube 2| is 4 nipple 38 may be adjusted to the right. Thus, at one setting of the device, the fan unit may be positioned to accommodate any given length of the hose 39 to reach far to the left or far to the right as well as points in between without choking of the exhaust through said hose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

An. exterminator includin a casingnormally closed at the top thereof and adapted to contain a smouldering mass of ignited insecticide at the bottom portion of the casing, a vertical air suparranged to extend upwardly through the burning mass of insecticide, the upper end portion of said tube will be heated, with resultant automatic induction of air through said tube. Under suchconditions, it has been found that a quiet expl'y tube extending upwardly through the bottom ctthe casing and through said mass for admittingair to the casing above the upper level of said mass, a nipple entering the casing above the haust will occur through the fan housing 24 and hose 39, and smothering of the ignited mass of insecticide will be prevented while the fan 32 is at rest.

After ignition of the insecticide mass at the bottom of the casing H, the hand wheel 35 may then be turned for creating, as will be understood. an exhaust draft through the casing. As will be seen, this exhaust draft will be close to the surface of the burning mass of insecticide at the bottom of the casing but below the supply of fresh air at the top of the tube 2!. Consequently, only a top lift of suction on theburning mass will be present while the smoke fumes from said mass will be diluted in large part by the fresh incoming air through the tube 2|. The desired smouldering and smoking of the mass is thus accomplished without active blazing thereof.

In practical use, another vital feature is to be noted, which is the rocking adjustment of the fan unit as a whole. As will be observed, by loosening the set screw 21, the fan unit may be adjustably tilted upon the nipple 23. Casually, this feature might be regarded as merely incidental but,

to the user, it signifies a commercial choice. As will be perceived, by adjusting the fan up, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the angularity of the nipple 38 may be tilted to the left, or by adjusting the fan unit down, the angularity of the level of said'mass but below the upper end of said tube, a fan housing rotatably adjustable upon said nipple and including a removable side plate having a bearing thereon located axially of said nipple, a shaft journaled through said bearing, a fan fixed upon the inner end of said shaft within the housing, a pulley fixed upon the outer end of said shaft externally of the housing, an arm fixed to and extending radially from the housing, a hand wheel journaled upon said arm, a belt trained about said wheel and pulley for driving the fan and exhausting fumes from the casing while the hand wheel is being turned, and a flexible discharge hose extending from said housing, said hose providing a single permanently open outlet for the casing and said housing with the parts attached thereto being adjustable as a unit upon said nipple to accommodate angularity of 1 said hose when in use relative to the casing.

v JOSEPH K. YOUNG. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Camden Dec. 31, 1929 

